Turkish army ready to shell SDF again if they cross "red line"
The Turkish military is prepared to shell the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) if they advance on the Islamic State (ISIS)-occupied town of Manbij in northern Syria.
An SDF advance from Manbij would violate Turkey's "red line" in northwestern Syria, the 60-mile wide "Azaz-Jarablus line" which Ankara says it will prevent the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), who make up the majority of the fighters in the SDF, from entering.
"The required response would be given from inside Turkey without entering Syrian territory," said Turkish military sources quoted by Hurriyet news on Thursday.
The sources also added that Turkish T-155 Firtina howitzer artillery guns are ready to bombard SDF positions if need be. The same guns which the Turks used against the YPG in the town of Azaz before the ceasefire in Syria was implemented on February 27.
An SDF advance from Manbij would violate Turkey's "red line" in northwestern Syria, the 60-mile wide "Azaz-Jarablus line" which Ankara says it will prevent the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), who make up the majority of the fighters in the SDF, from entering.
"The required response would be given from inside Turkey without entering Syrian territory," said Turkish military sources quoted by Hurriyet news on Thursday.
The sources also added that Turkish T-155 Firtina howitzer artillery guns are ready to bombard SDF positions if need be. The same guns which the Turks used against the YPG in the town of Azaz before the ceasefire in Syria was implemented on February 27.